Alpena weekly argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1871-1893, 1887-04-20
RUSSIAN ExILES.
Fusitlves from Justice Hunted Down Like
tho wild Beasts OF the Forest.

FusitIves from Justice Hunted Down Like
tho wild Beasts OF the Forest.
A graphic picture of the condition of
those unfortunates who are fifty do
scribed AS ''lost souls" is drawn in the
work on Siberia by the Russian writer
Jadrinzeff. But few of the exilcs ever
attain to the possession Of a "house,"
by which Is meant q miserable hut.
Most Of them are in reality the bonds
men Of the Siberian peasants, by whom
they are hired; that is to say, they
remain in their debt as long as they
live. and are satisfied when they can
get money for drinking on holidays
from their masters. But as the major
ity OF the exiles arc rogucs and vaga-
bonds by profession, who are afraid of
work, the number of fugitives is con-
stantly increasing, who steal, rob and
plumber whenever n chance offers, and
thus intensity the natural antipathy of
the settlers against the class of the de-
ported. The peasants have every cause
to be incensed against them, for, be-
sides suffering from the malpractices Of
the convict class, they have to bear tho
cost OF the erection and preservation of
prisons for the exiles, organize huns
for the capture Of the runaways, pro-
vide guards for them and find the taxes
which can not be raised from among
the deported class. But the greatest
gaps in the ranks of the exiles are
caused by the almost systematic escape
of the latter from forced labor and from
the convict settlements. No less than
fifteen per cent Of the deported escape
during transport. Many of them are
shot down like wild beasts by the peas.
ants and natives, and an observer of
Siberian life made very true remark
when he said that Siberia would
scarcely have been able to overpower
the runaway exiles il the peasants had
not annihilated them.
The most extreme measures to check
tho system OF escape are the hunts by
the natives. organized by the Russian
government. The native receives three
roubles II he delivers the prisoner,
"dcad or alive" to the authorities.
The people are provided with good
arms and ammunition, so as to make
hunting the escaped prisoner a perfect
success. One of those few who man
aged to escape was seized in his native
village, and when brought before the
court he said: "For two years have
wandered about, have swan through
rivers and seas, have crossed Siberian
forests, passed through stcppes and
mountains, and no one has touched
me, neither man nor beast; but here,
in my native village, have been seized
and cast into chains" The escape
from forced labor had become so COM
mon that tho administrators of convict
establishments were in the habit of
calling out, when receiving prisoners:
"Whoever wishes to stay, let him take
aeed them" 1t should DO observed
that the clothes left behind by escaped
convicts, so as to guard against cap
ture, are the perquisites OF the prison
authorities.
While the statistics show an incrcdi-
bic increase in the number Of crimes
committed by exilcs, proving tho cil-
cheney of the system of deportation as
corrective dclusion, they are equally
condemnatory of its undetermined
cheapncss to the state. Tho cost of
transport of Siberian deporte is csti-
mated at 30 roublcs (S3750.) But in
this estimate are not included the cost
Of transport to the main route (steam-
ers on tho Volga and Kama,) and
thence to the place Of destination, the
maintenance of his family If he is ac-
oompanied by it, the maintenance in
prison till the spring, rs transports in
winter have been abolished, rs well as
the cost of the military guards, so that
the expenses of transport for each con-
vict to his place of destination amount
to about 800 roubles (S225,) sum
which would be sufficient to keep him
at least four years in the dearest prison
of European Russia. But this sum is
raised to 500 roublcs ($60W by the ex-
peuse attached to the maintenance OF
etappe routes, escorts. prisons along
the route and etappe houses. not TO
reckon the burdens imposed upon the
population, who have to provide
vehicles and hospitals, and their losses
through theft and crimes of all de-
scriptions.
A simple calculation, consequently,
ought to be in favor of those in Russia
who raise their voices against degrad-
ing Siberia into n receptacle for lost
souls" Jadrinzeff says: The system
of deportation has converted Siberia
into a sewer; deportation has been tho
cause Of much injustice and harm dono
to the country. BY mixing the de-
ported with the population, crime was
accorded wider scope. The exilcs
are at present in an extremely miser-
able and Objectionable condition. and
Siberia receives, instead of useful
workers, n numerous, homeless and
lazy prolctariat. By the present de-
plorablc condition OF the banished the
punishment inflicted does not lead to
reform. but yields result quito the
reverse, consisting in the demoraliza-
ton of the exilcs and an increase in
vagabondism and crime" --London
Post.